Most Americans believe that someone isn’t grown-up until the age of 26 and they should complete their education, have a full-time job, have a family to support and be financially independent. They also believe that becoming a real grown-up is a process which begins at about the age of 20 and takes about five years, according to the report from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.
The findings are based on a representative sample of 1,398 people over the age of 18 who were surveyed in person. The survey found that people expect the transitions to grown-up status to be completed at the following ages: age 20.9 self-supporting; age 21.1 no longer living with parents; age 21.2 having a full-time job; age 22.3 education completed; age 24.5 being able to support a family financially; age 25.7 getting married; and age 26.2 having a child.
“There is a large degree of agreement across social groups on the relative importance of the seven transitions,” said Tom Smith, director of the survey. The only obvious pattern of differences is on views about supporting a family, having children and getting married. Older adults consider these more important than younger adults do. This probably shows in large part a change in values across generations away from traditional family values. The most valued step toward reaching adulthood, the survey found, is completing education, followed by full-time employment, supporting a family, financial independence, living independently, and marriage.
1. According to the first paragraph, someone is a grown-up when he _______.
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A．has found a full-time job |
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B．has finished his study in university |
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C．can make money and support himself after completing his education |
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D．can support a family and be financially independent after graduation |
2. A young man of 24 may be busy ________.
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A．finding a job |
B．finding a girl friend |
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C．making money |
D．preparing for his wedding |
3.The underlined word “status” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
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A．position |
B．rank |
C．level |
D．situation |
4.From the passage, we learn that _________.
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A．being grown-up is just a matter of age |
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B．being grown-up is a process which takes some time |
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C．all people think completing education means being grown-up |
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D．the survey found everyone had a different view about being grown-up |
5. The best title for the passage should be “________”
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A．It takes a long time to grown up. |
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B．Are we grown-up yet? |
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C．Getting married means being grown-up. |
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D．Completing education means being grown-up. |
A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment．
The event happened in the early morning hours in one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August, 1923．He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had occupied several years before．The former President’s wife was still living in the White House．
Coolidge awoke to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain．
Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn’t take that．”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why?”
“I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠)．Take it near the window and read what is impressed on its back, “ the President said．
The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge．”
“Are you President Coolidge ? “ he asked．
The President answered, “Yes, and the House of Representatives (众议院) gave me that watch charm．I’m fond of it．It would do you no good．You want money．Let’s talk this over．”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I’ll take this and leave everything else．”
Coolidge, knowing there was ＄80 in it, persuaded the young man to sit down and talk．He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill．
Coolidge added up the roommate and two rail tickets back to the college．Then he counted out ＄32 said it was a loan (借款)．
He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor．” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered．
1.What caused the thief to meet the President?
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A．He knew the President had lots of money． |
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B．He knew the President lived in the suite． |
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C．He wanted to be a rich businessman． |
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D．He wanted to steal some money． |
2.Why did Calvin Coolidge live at the Willard Hotel in those days?
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A．Because the former President was still living in the White House． |
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B．Because the former First Lady hadn’t left the White House． |
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C．Because the First Lady liked to live there． |
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D．Because he liked there． |
3.Coolidge counted out ＄32 ______．
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A．in order not to be killed by the thief |
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B．in order to be out of danger |
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C．so as to help the young student overcome his difficulty |
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D．because he had no more money |
4.The young man’s roommate went back to the college ______．
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A．by air |
B．by water |
C．by bus |
D．by train |
5.Which of the following might happen afterwards?
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A．The young student repaid the＄32． |
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B．The thief was put into prison． |
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C．The President told many reporters the thief’s name． |
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D．The President ordered the young man to repay the money． |
Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives. Not long ago, I had one that I would like to __16__.
I was going to Marblehead with my sailboat team. The team was racing down the highway at 85 mph __17_ we realized we were __18_. Luckily, we saw a rest area ahead. I had a brand-new $20 bill. I was so __19_ because I had never had that kind of cash before. But spending it on __20__ seemed like throwing it away. We all rushed into the pizza line. __21__ I got a pizza and a drink, and walked to my table. About halfway through the meal, I __22_ I had not actually handed any money to the cashier. I had just __23__ out, and nobody had noticed. I felt terrible.
My conscience (良心) opened its mouth and swallowed me in one big bite. I couldn’t __24__ over it. I just couldn’t go back to the cashier and __25__ for my stolen pizza. I was so upset that I __26__ to give myself the pleasure of an ice cream for __27__ that someone would say, “Hey, Jeff, why not you use the change __28__ the pizza instead of that nice, new $20 bill?” I was not so __29__ of my cash now. For the next two years, whenever I was __30__ of the “pizza incident”, I would say to myself, “Don’t think about it…”
I have learned two things from this __31__. Maybe I was a fool for __32__ in to my conscience, and being too stupid to appreciate a __33__ pizza. But the real lesson is that even if you get away with what you have done, your conscience will __34__ up with you.
This reflects the saying, “Coward (懦夫) dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies one.” I was a coward and have felt terrible about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a “__35__” and gone back to pay for the pizza, I would have felt a little uncomfortable about it only one, or maybe twice.
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All the people ____the meeting were very important.
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A．attending |
B．present |
C．attended |
D．presented |
The novel is said _____ into many languages.
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A．being translated |
B．having been translated |
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C．to translate |
D．to have been translated |
The local government supplied the poor children _______free text-books and some companies supplied food __________ them.
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A．to with; |
B．for; to |
C．with; towards |
D．with; to |
